Bay of Islands Tours from Auckland

A verdant archipelago blessed with sun-soaked beaches and turquoise waters teeming with exotic marine life, the Bay of Islands is among New Zealand’s most idyllic destinations. The collection of 144 islands is dotted around the northeastern coast of the North Island and makes a popular choice for day or multi-day tours from Auckland.

For many day-trippers, the highlight is a boat trip around the Bay of Islands, where you’ll have the chance to spot seals, penguins, whales and dolphins. A Cape Brett Cruise also takes in some of the islands’ most dramatic sites, sailing through the aptly-nicknamed "Hole in the Rock" at Motukokako Island, visiting the Grand Cathedral Cave and stopping by the famous Cape Brett Lighthouse.

The islands aren’t just known for their scenery—the Bay of Islands is also home to New Zealand's first permanent European settlement, Russell, and the legendary Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840—perhaps the single most important event in the history of New Zealand’s colonization. Take a Bay of Islands day trip from Auckland and you’ll get the best of both worlds, visiting the Waitangi Treaty House, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and a traditional Maori meeting house, as well as cruising along the coast and hitting the beach.

Of course, if you really want to explore the north, a day trip simply isn’t long enough, so opt for a three-day Bay of Islands tour from Auckland and travel to Cape Reinga, New Zealand’s northernmost point, then visit the nearby Ninety Mile Beach before cruising around the islands. Or take the ultimate journey around the North Island—a five-day private tour of Auckland and the Bay of Islands, checking off landmark sights like the Whangarei Falls, the giant kauri tree of Waipoua Forest, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and Paihia.